BlackFog announces new leadership to drive growth & innovation

BlackFog, a company specialising in ransomware protection and anti-data exfiltration (ADX), has announced key additions to its leadership team in an effort to drive its next phase of growth. The company has named Brenda Robb as President, John Sarantakes as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), and Mark Griffith as Vice President of Strategic Sales.

Brenda Robb, who has been with the company since its founding, has stepped up from her role as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) to become President. During her tenure as CMO, Robb played a crucial role in expanding BlackFog’s market presence and establishing a strong brand for its ADX technology. Under her leadership, the company ventured into Northern Ireland, setting up a research and development headquarters. Commenting on her new responsibilities, Dr. Darren Williams, CEO and Founder of BlackFog, said, "Brenda is instrumental to BlackFog's success, and I am thrilled she is taking on the role of President in addition to leading our marketing operations."

John Sarantakes joins as Chief Revenue Officer, bringing in more than 28 years of experience in technology sales. Sarantakes is expected to drive global sales by fostering direct sales channels and developing strong partnerships, targeting growth across state, federal, local government, and education sectors. Prior to joining BlackFog, Sarantakes held prominent positions, including Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at InMotion Software, Executive Vice President at Headspring Systems, Senior Vice President of Sales and General Manager of EMEA at Absolute Software, and National Sales Director at Dell.

Mark Griffith has been appointed as Vice President of Strategic Sales, adding over 30 years of strategic leadership and innovation to BlackFog. His role will focus on developing partnerships with Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs). Griffith is also tasked with securing customers in state, local, and government agencies, and maintaining strong tactical and operational relations with clients.

Dr. Darren Williams expressed his optimism about the new appointments: "We're thrilled with the appointments of both John and Mark, and we know they will be great assets to both the company and its customers. Mark is a results-focused and motivated individual who will deliver unprecedented value to our team. John is a respected colleague who brings years of results-driven experience to the table, critical as we target new territories and sectors."

The company believes that these leadership changes will lay a robust foundation for rapid growth, especially as ransomware threats continue to surge. Organisations are increasingly seeking effective solutions to safeguard their systems and data from ransomware attacks, thereby fuelling the demand for data protection and anti-data exfiltration technologies.

Founded in 2015, BlackFog has carved a niche in the cybersecurity sector with its on-device anti-data exfiltration technology, aimed at protecting companies from varied global security threats including ransomware, spyware, malware, and unauthorised data collection. The company employs artificial intelligence to preemptively thwart cyber-attacks on enterprise security systems and data infrastructures.

BlackFog has garnered industry recognition for its innovations, having recently won prestigious awards such as the Best Threat Intelligence Technology in the 2024 Teiss Awards, Data Leak Detection Solution of the Year at the CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards, and a Gold award for Best Virtual CISO Offering at the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards. The company also received accolades for its State of Ransomware report in 2023, which underscores its contribution to securing the digital landscape.

The leadership additions come at a pivotal moment for BlackFog as it aims to bolster its market position and expand its technological footprint amid increasing cybersecurity challenges.